National Archives Launches 1940 Census April 2 Online at 1940census.archives.gov
Live webcast of Opening Event, 8:30 A.M. EDT
Follow the 1940 Census on Twitter (using hashtag #1940census), Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, and YouTube, and subscribe to our blogs: NARAtions and Prologue: Pieces of History.
The
launch event is open to the media and to a limited number of members of
the public on a first come, first served basis, by emailing 1940census@nara.gov.
WHAT: Washington, DC…Special ceremonial launch of the 1940 census. The National Archives’ largest single release of digitized records will be online at 1940census.archives.gov. For the genealogical community, the 1940 census is the most eagerly-anticipated records release in the past decade. Following remarks, the Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero will launch the first search.
Beginning
April 2, 2012, users will be able to search, browse, and download the
1940 census schedules, free of charge, through the new 1940 census
website: 1940census.archives.gov. National Archives partnered with Archives.com to build and host the site.
The launch event will be webcast live online starting at 8:30 A.M., please visit 1940census.archives.gov, closer to April 2 for the link.
WHO: Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero
U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves
Archives.com Executive Vice President John Spottiswood
University of Maryland U.S. History Professor David Sicilia
WHEN: Monday, April 2, 2012, 8:30 A.M.
Electronic media preset 8:15 A.M.
WHERE: William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building, Washington, DC
Enter through Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue and 7th Streets, NW
View the National Archives 3:13 minute video short on its YouTube channel (http://tiny.cc/1940Census) and on www.1940census.archives.gov. The video provides a “behind-the-scenes” look at staff preparations and gives viewers tips on how to access the 1940 census data. This video is in the public domain and not subject to any copyright restrictions. The National Archives encourages the free distribution of it.
Background on the 1940 Census
When
the Founding Fathers mandated a decennial census in the U.S.
Constitution, the intent was to use this as a basis to determine how
many representatives each state was entitled to send to the U.S.
Congress. It is now a vital tool
for Federal agencies in determining allocation of Federal funds and
resources. The census is also a key research tool for sociologists,
demographers, historians, political scientists and genealogists. Many of
the questions on the 1940 census are the standard ones: name, age,
gender, and race, education, and place of birth. But the 1940 census
also asks many new questions, some reflecting concerns of the Great
Depression. The instructions ask the enumerator to enter a circled X
after the name of the person furnishing the information about the
family; whether the person worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps,
Works Progress Administration, or National Youth Administration the week
of March 24–30, 1940; and income for the 12 months ending December 31,
1939. The 1940 census also has a supplemental schedule for two names on
each page. The supplemental schedule asks the place of birth of the
person's father and mother; the person's usual occupation, not just what
they were doing the week of March 24–30, 1940; and for all women who
are or have been married, has this woman been married more than once and
age at first marriage.
For
the release of the 1940 census online, the National Archives has
digitized the entire census, creating more than 3.8 million digital
images of census schedules, maps, and enumeration district descriptions.
Will the 3 minute NARA video work before the launch? I tried it and I got the message that a valid URL was not provided and was redirected to the NARA homepage.
ReplyDeleteGosh, Luana. I just cross posted what NARA gave me and spent the next hour parking to get an official invitation to the live event.
ReplyDelete